Looking for tips on how to work with a senior paralegal who has been at the firm for 30 years and hates female attorneys. She has told me numerous time she doesn’t like young female attorneys because we “all act like we have something to prove.” I keep my interactions with her to a minimum but she recently complained about me to my manager when I corrected her work. Do I just keep ignoring her and hope for the best?

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Yep. You do not want to be on this lady’s bad side. I’m sure the manager/partners/etc are aware of her sass and ignore her for the most part, but better to steer clear of any office drama if you can.

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That sucks, but it’s not uncommon… Ignore inappropriate comments. Be nice and give her compliments. Tell her she’s doing a great job when the partner is copied on the emails. If you have the chance to discuss with her in person, make her talk about herself and the things that she likes. If you do all this, she might change her mind from “I hate all women associate” to “I hate all women associate except you”… These behaviors annoy me so much. Why do women have to hate eachother? This job is already harder for us. We should be supporting eachother.

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I’m a paralegal and I’m sorry to hear this. This behavior is not ok. I hate it when long time employees think they can be jerks. I realize it’s a weird dynamic with experienced paralegals and junior attorneys but the paralegal is still a paralegal and the attorney is an attorney.

That said, I agree with the tips already posted. Detach. Keep it professional. Be consistent.

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I really appreciate your response!

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Can you also please report her to HR? She clearly needs additional/ re- training. You may be preventing her from attacking the next young female attorney.

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Omg following. Been dealing with this since I started in April !!! I’ve done nothing but kiss her ass !

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